What the move to -15°C means for Constellation and your business

Climate change is the most pressing issue threatening the world today. As Europe’s leading independent cold storage provider, we have a part to play in reducing the impact of climate change in our industry. There is, in fact, a way for cold storage to help a warming planet. 

That’s why Constellation Cold Logistics has pledged it support for #JoinTheMoveToMinus15, a movement to support the reduction of the temperature of our freezers from -18°C to -15°C. Those 3 degrees might not seem like a huge deal – but they can have a massive positive impact on our planet. This article will explain the problem we’re facing, and the massive impact that the Move to Minus 15 movement could have on our planet.

The challenge: Climate change and food insecurity

Right now, 820 million people in the world face hunger.

As the world’s population continues to grow, so will the number of people facing food shortages and malnutrition. As a leading player in the global food supply chain, it is our responsibility to take the steps we can to prevent that from happening and to make our supply chains more sustainable.

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to food security across the planet. As the temperature rises, the risk of crops and livestock dying increases as well. Already, 1.3 billion tonnes of edible food are lost every year due to supply chain inefficiencies.

The standard temperature used across the cold chain has been -18°C for over 90 years. It doesn’t reflect the innovations in technology, efficiency and our increased understanding of food safety and quality and our impact on the environment which have come since. That’s why we’ve joined the movement to help drive the industry to make a change.

Why the industry should move to -15°C

By switching to -15°C, the industry would cut its carbon emissions significantly. Research suggests that switching to -15°C could save up to 17.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. That’s the equivalent of the yearly emissions of almost 4 million cars. 

The switch to -15°C could create energy savings of up to 25 terawatt-hours. That’s 8.63% of the UK’s energy consumption. As far as we’re concerned, it’s a win-win for Constellation, consumers and the planet.

It’s a no-brainer, but it has a huge impact. However we are only part of the supply chain, and to make this a reality, we will need the support of customers (as it is their product and temperature requirement) and the wider supply chain.

By joining this movement, we’re joining a global coalition that’s coming together to make a difference. Why not just push for the change on our own? Because collaboration is part of the solution. By working together with our industry peers, sharing information and pushing to make the change together, we will be able to have a bigger impact than any of us would be able to by ourselves. We are excited to keep you up to date as our efforts to make cold storage more sustainable continue.

If you want to find out more about the ways we’re making Constellation more sustainable, you can read about it on our sustainability page.